The Bee Gardener

It's that time of year: hurricane-force winds one day and beautiful spring weather the next. Here's what's happening in the Haven in March: Garden maintenance We've finished our winter pruning and are eagerly awaiting the flowers that will follow.

One of the top-performing plants in the Haven's bee attractiveness studies is Russian sage. Garden books describe this plant along the lines of "...even though it's called Russian sage, it's not a sage. That name is for plants in the genus Salvia....

This past year has been difficult in so many ways. Although we've had to cancel our events and tours, it's been wonderful to see so many in-person visitors enjoying the calm of the Haven. And while it's not the same, we were able to transition to Zoom classes in the fall.

This year will be a World Bee Day like no other. Created by the United Nations to raise awareness about pollinators, this event is celebrated on the birthday of Anton Jana, a pioneer of modern beekeeping.

It's the first week of spring at the Haven and our plants are starting to look their best. For those of you who cannot make it to the garden this week, here's a brief tour of what's going on. For those who can make it, I've included some of the bees to look for.